LAB MANUAL APPLIED PHYSICS

LAB EXPERIMENT NO # 02
Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________________

Score: __________________________________Signature of Instructor___________

SERIES CIRCUITS

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE:
1. To learn the basic concepts and relationships of current and voltage measurements in DC
circuits containing resistors wired in Series Circuits.
2. To understand and use Ohm’s Law applied to Series Circuits.
3. To learn the relationships of the total resistance of resistors connected in Series Circuits.
4. To learn to use ammeters, voltmeters, ohmmeters, and multimeters to properly measure
voltages, currents, and resistances.

EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS

1. Multimeter
2. Power supply
3. Connecting Leads
4. Breadboard
5. Few Resistors
6. Ohmmeter
7. Voltmeter
8. Ammeter

Introduction
Most common household electrical circuits are made of many devices connected in
parallel. Each device is hooked to the power source in parallel with all the other devices, each
connected to the same voltage source and availing itself of the same voltage. Each device has its
own characteristic resistance, and therefore each draws from the source a different amount of
current, depending on its resistive value. While the voltage being accessed is nearly the same for
all devices, the amount of current drawn from the source increases as each device draws its
respective current based on its resistance. As a result as more and more devices are connected in
parallel, the total amount of current drawn from the source increases. It thus has the effect of
causing the resistance to decrease with each additional resistance added. Additional devices
added to a circuit, require additional current from the source until something is overloaded. More
current is required beyond that which can be supplied by the source or carried by the conductors
without burning up.
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Theory
Ohm’s Law

Ohm’s Law is the relationship between the current I flowing through a resistance R and the
potential drop across it V. The current is directly proportional to the potential difference across
the resistance and is inversely proportional to the resistance,

I=V/R (1)
As an alternative, Ohm’s Law may be stated as: The potential difference V across a resistance is
directly proportional to the current I flowing through the resistance and the resistance R, or

V=I ×R (2)

Ohm’s Law can be rearranged to define the resistance R so that

R=V/I (3)

If the potential difference across the resistance is measured in volts (V) and the current flowing
through the resistance is measured in amperes (A), then the resistance values will be in units of
ohms.

Resistors in Series

Figure 1 shows 3 resistors, R1, R2, and R3, connected in series in a closed circuit powered by a
single battery or Emf source. In this circuit the current supplied by the battery flows through
each resistor, with the current in each resistor being the same. If the current supplied by the
battery is IT, the current in each resistor is I1, I2, and I3, and they are all one and the same, then

IT = I1 = I2 = I3 (4)

The voltage drop across the battery VT will be the total sum of the individual drops across each
of the 3 resistors, and

VT=V1+V2+V3 (5)

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LAB MANUAL APPLIED PHYSICS

Where V1 is the potential difference across R1, V2 is the potential difference across R2, and V3 is
the potential difference across R3. From Equation 2,

VT=IT × RT (6)

V1=I1 × R1 (7)

V2=I2 × R2 (8)

V3=I3 × R3 (9)

Substituting these equations into Equation 5 gives

IT RT = I1 R1 + I2 R2 + I3 R3 (10)

Since IT = I1 = I2 = I3
RT = R1 + R2 + R3 (11)

Therefore, when resistors are connected in series, the total resistance is just the sum of
the individual resistances. While this has been shown for 3 resistors, the total resistance of any
number of N (N≥2) of resistors connected in series, end to end, can be found using the same
general procedure. Therefore for resistors connected in series

(12)
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LAB MANUAL APPLIED PHYSICS

PROCEDURE:

1.With an ohmmeter measure the each resistor value for the resistors required for this
experiment, take resistances of your own choices available. Connect the resistors in series and
2.measure the total resistance RT. Record the results in Table 1.
3.Using the information given in Theory and Figure 1, calculate the total resistance RT, the series
current IT, and the IR voltage drop across R1, R2, R3. Record the result in Table 2. Take voltage
and resistances of your choice available in the Lab.
4.Connect the circuit shown in Figure 1 and turn on the DC Power Supply, adjust the power
supply level to 10V DC.
5.Measure the IR voltage drop across each resistance as indicated in the Figure 1 and record the
result in Table 2.
6.Repeat the procedure for 15V DC and fill the Table 3.
7.After recording the measured voltage drops, compare the measured and calculated values. Use
the formula for determining the percentage.
%=Difference between Measured and Calculated × 100
Calculated

TABLE 1

S.NO Calculated Tolerance Range Measured Resistance

Resistance(Nominal)

1 R1

2 R2

3 R3

4 RT

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LAB MANUAL APPLIED PHYSICS

TABLE 2

Value Calculated Measured % Error

RT
IT
VR1
VR2
VR3

TABLE 3

Value Calculated Measured %Error

RT
IT
VR1
VR2

VR3

CONCLUSION

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